Oct 16, 2009 7:45 pm US/Eastern
HealthWatch: Treatment Options For Back Pain
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Back pain is one of the most common ailments in adults, but now there are more treatment options than ever.
About 80 percent of adults will experience back pain.
"I bent over to pick up the little girl and my back just went out on me," Audrey O'Gorman says. "It was horrible. I had to call my neighbor from across the street to come over and take the children to her house."
Fortunately, most common back pain eases no matter what you do. But some treatments are more beneficial than others.
Ice and over-the-counter anti-inflammatories, like naproxen and ibuprofen, can reduce pain and inflammation.
Long-term bed rest should be avoided – in most cases, you should start normal walking in 24 hours. Exercise strengthens back muscles, which can bring relief from tightening and spasms.
"Yoga is one of the best exercises for back pain sufferers because it emphasizes stretching and muscle conditioning, especially of the core," says Good Housekeeping's Jennifer Cook.
Another option is spinal manipulation – gentle chiropractic treatments can be especially effective right after the pain starts.
"By going in and restoring the normal alignment of the spine, it takes that pressure off of the nerve and relieves back pain," chiropractor Dr. Nicholas Baiata says.
Acupuncture has also been recognized as an effective treatment by the National Institutes of Health.
"And there are Botox injections, which can relax muscles and prevent very painful spasms," Cook says.
Surgery for non-specific back pain is generally seen as a last resort, and many times doesn't bring relief. In fact, 20 percent of back surgery patients have repeat operations within 10 years – so make sure you get several doctors' opinions before going under the knife.
$86 billion is spent each year on back treatment.
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